Hoisting…

…our flag at UN

In the midst of our national mourning over the MV Barima tragedy that unfolded on her way to the Barima-Waini Region, a local girl who’s reaching for the stars on the world stage must surely know some of those who’ve been affected. Carolyn Rodrigues, an Amerindian who was born in the region at Moruca, Santa Rosa, vying to become the Secretary General, reminds us by her campaign – in which she recently outlined the programme she’d unfurl in her first 100 days – that life – personal, national and international – goes on.
Her campaign raises an important question: what kind of leadership does the present fractured international order require? Your Eyewitness posits that the answer lies not in another representative of one of the big powers, but in the experienced hands of a diplomat from one of the world’s smallest states. He thinks Carolyn Rodrigues would be an inspired choice. You may think him overly ambitious – after all, we just reached a million in population, and we possess neither military might nor geopolitical leverage comparable to the Security Council’s permanent members!! But that’s precisely why a Guyanese Secretary General – and a female Indigenous one at that! – would embody the founding spirit of the United Nations!!
Let’s face it – the UN was never intended to be just a forum where the powerful ratify the inevitable!! It was conceived as a place where sovereign equality gives even the smallest nations a voice in shaping the international order!! Throughout the UN’s history, some of its most successful Secretary Generals have come from countries that were neither military nor economic giants. Remember Burma’s U Thant?? Their strength lay precisely in their ability to mediate without the baggage of great-power rivalry. In an era when distrust among the world’s major powers has created a new Cold War, the Secretary General must be seen not as an extension of geopolitical influence but as an honest broker!!
Carolyn Rodrigues fits that description to a “T”!! Her career spans public administration, elected office, environmental diplomacy, Indigenous development, climate policy and international negotiations. She’s represented Guyana with distinction on issues ranging from sustainable development to the rights of Indigenous Peoples – while earning wide respect!!
Critically, her experience reflects many of the defining challenges of the twenty-first century: climate change, food security, biodiversity, energy transition, sustainable development, etc. These ain’t just peripheral concerns – they’re central to international peace and security. Few countries understand this intersection better than us, with our nation balancing rapid economic transformation through oil production with global leadership in forest conservation and low-carbon development!!
Rodrigues has been intimately involved in that evolution. Her appointment would send a powerful message about the place of small states in global governance.
Go, Barima girl!!

…small states
For decades, small countries – the majority of the UN – have often found themselves on the receiving end of decisions taken elsewhere!! Yet we’re disproportionately affected by climate disasters, debt burdens, supply-chain disruptions and geopolitical competition!! We understand multilateralism not as an abstract ideal but as a practical necessity. We gotta stress that a Secretary General from a small state appreciates instinctively that international law ain’t optional—it’s existential!!
For countries without vast armies or nuclear deterrents, the rule of law is the first line of defence. Rodrigues would represent not only Guyana but also the Caribbean—a region that consistently punches above its weight in diplomacy, peacebuilding and international law!! We’re among the world’s strongest advocates for climate justice, ocean governance and equitable development financing. Yet our contribution’s rarely been reflected at the highest levels of the UN system.
Rodrigues’ elevation would correct that imbalance. It would also demonstrate that leadership ain’t measured just by the size of one’s GDP or military expenditure.
But by experience, judgement and moral authority!!

…international morality
History reminds us that consensus candidates often emerge precisely because they come from countries that inspire confidence rather than suspicion. Sometimes the strongest voice in the room ain’t the loudest. Sometimes it comes from the smallest!!